Lift-off of ExoMars mission to find life on Red Planet

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter arist
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Life Planet
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the ExoMars mission, specifically its objectives related to the search for life on Mars, including the detection of biosignatures and the characterization of the Martian environment. Participants explore the implications of the mission and its potential outcomes, as well as past experiences with Mars missions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight the mission's objectives, including searching for biosignatures, characterizing water distribution, and studying the surface environment for future manned missions.
  • One participant questions whether this is the first mission to attempt to detect evidence of microscopic life on Mars.
  • Another participant inquires about the odds of discovering microbial life during this mission.
  • It is noted that while every mission to Mars aims to find signs of life, any findings may not provide unambiguous proof of life, even if life exists.
  • A participant references a previous incident related to the mission, suggesting skepticism about its execution.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of optimism and skepticism regarding the mission's potential to find life, indicating that multiple competing views remain on the effectiveness and implications of the mission.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the detection of life and the interpretation of findings are not fully explored, and there is uncertainty regarding the clarity of evidence that could be obtained from the mission.

arist
Messages
3
Reaction score
0


A Proton-M rocket carrying the ExoMars 2016 spacecraft blasts off from the launch pad at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome.

Objectives:
  • to search for possible biosignatures of Martian life, past or present.
  • to characterize the water and geochemical distribution as a function of depth in the shallow subsurface.
  • to study the surface environment and identify hazards to future manned missions to Mars.
  • to investigate the planet's subsurface and deep interior to better understand the evolution and habitability of Mars.
  • achieve incremental steps ultimately culminating in a sample return flight.
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Is this the first mission ever to attempt to detect evidence of microscopic life on Mars?
 
And what are the betting odds that this mission will discover any microbial life on Mars?
 
Every mission to Mars hopes to find some signs of life.

The orbiter can find many interesting things, but I don't think any possible measurement would be an unambiguous proof of life on Mars, even if there is life. It could tell us where to look, however.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: 1oldman2